Amusement attraction

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an amusement and leisure slide for attraction parks, hotels, business or shopping centers with various combinations of thrilling experiences. It is proposed an amusement attraction comprising a sliding section part of an amusement attraction configured to receive a sliding element having an initial speed, the sliding section being shaped to form a curve with at least an angle of 90 degree between an input and an output, the curved section having an internal and shorter wall and a external and longer wall, the section being further connected to at least one actuator adapted to move the sliding section with a lateral movement so that said lateral movement do work on the sliding element (9) in order to either increase it&#39;s speed or elevation or a combination of both.

INTRODUCTION

The present invention relates to an amusement and leisure slide forattraction parks, hotels, business or shopping centers with variouscombinations of thrilling experiences.

PRIOR ART

In the present water slide designs, it is known that a bowl structure isused as an element of the water slide embodiment. Such bowl-type slidesare generally embodied such that the users enter into the bowl by meansof a tangent orbital movement by using a tube before the users exitthrough a hole provided under the bowl and the users slide in variousspiral or elliptic shapes inside the bowl, and the users finish slidingin a water pool or in a safe area.

In applications where a water pool is not preferred as said safe area,the design of the outlet region providing exit of the user from the bowldiffers. In case the user, who slides in a high speed manner, does notfall into a water pool, an outlet opening design which will slow downthe speed of the user is needed.

In the US patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,372 B2 among the knownapplications of the art, a waterslide bowl element is disclosed whichhas a bottom wall configured to form a throat around a rider exitopening in the bottom of the bowl. The bowl holds an annular ring ofwater around the throat that slows down and conducts the rider to theexit opening and a flume in which the waterslide ride continues. Thedepth of said annular ring is equal at each point of the annular form.

In the document WO2018/080409, the design relates to a bowl-type waterslide for the purpose of entertainment and having a configuration wherethe user, who enters into the inlet region at a predetermined speed, mayexit the bowl-type water slide in a safe manner through a narrow outletopening provided in the outlet region at the periphery of the bowl.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the previous solutions, the movement of the user is achieved throughan initial speed gathered before entering into the bowl. Once the useris inside the bowl, he stays inside as long as the momentum acquired bythe initial acceleration is sufficient.

The problem to be solved is to provide energy to the user inside thebowl. According to the present invention, a solution is proposed by anamusement attraction comprising a sliding section configured to receivea sliding element having an initial speed, the sliding section having onits periphery a slope and being further connected to actuator meansadapted to at least move the sliding section with a sequence of lateralmovements so as to transfer kinetic energy to the sliding element, byopposing the movements direction of the sliding section to thecentrifugal force of the sliding element.

The key solution of the present invention is to transfer energy to theuser or the sliding element by moving and/or tilting the sliding sectionin accordance with the position of the sliding element.

For that purpose, the control means should know movement characteristics(such as the position, speed) of the sliding element so that the movingand/or tilting of the sliding section is concurrent with the movement ofthe sliding element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will be better understood thanks to the attachedfigures in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the amusement attraction with the sliding sectionmounted on a frame,

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the object of the FIG. 1 ,

FIG. 3 illustrates the sliding section with an entry slide with lateralexit,

FIG. 4 illustrates the sliding section with an entry slide with centralexit,

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the sliding section with a surroundingwater channel,

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-section of the object of the FIG. 5 ,

FIG. 7 illustrates the sliding section with an entry slide withsurrounding water channel,

FIG. 8 illustrates a lateral view of the object of the FIG. 7 ,

FIG. 9 illustrates a version with an exit opening located on one side ofthe sliding section,

FIG. 10 illustrates the same object as the FIG. 9 with a differentposition of the sliding element,

FIG. 11 illustrates the case with two sliding elements,

FIG. 12 illustrates the various positions of the sliding section,

FIGS. 13 to 16 illustrate the various positions of the sliding elementwhile the sliding section is moved laterally to bring kinetic energy tothe sliding element.

FIG. 17 illustrate another way to transfer energy to a sliding element,

FIG. 18 illustrates the sliding element entering into the slidingsection of the FIG. 17 ,

FIG. 19 illustrates the sliding element being accelerated by theactuator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The FIG. 1 is an overall view of the invention. The sliding section 1,having the shape of a bowl, is mounted on a frame comprising actuators3. The sliding section 1 can be moved or tilted or a combination ofboth. By movement, we understand a horizontal movement in X and Y, theattitude of the sliding section being unchanged. By tilting, weunderstand a change of the attitude of the sliding section, the X/Yposition (horizontal) being unchanged. The two modifications of thesliding section can be combined to move and tilt at the same time. Theexpression “modify or modification of the sliding section” means moving,tilting or a combination of moving and tilting. To achieve the varioustilting orientations of the sliding section, at least two actuators 3are required. Up to 6 actuators are needed to move and tilt the slidingsection 1 in all possible positions and orientations. The slidingsection 1 is rigid and extending one actuator in a six actuator'sembodiment, has the consequence of inclining the sliding section andthus changing the attitude of the sliding section 1. If the secondactuator is also extended, the inclination of the attitude of thesliding section is changed. In the figures, a Stewart platform isrepresented as a configuration of the 6 actuators, which has theadvantage of the symmetry and simplicity. Other serial embodiments ofactuators can also be designed.

In the example of the FIG. 1 , the sliding section 1 comprises a centralopening 2 to allow the sliding element to exit the sliding section.

The FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section of the FIG. 1 showing theactuators 2 allowing to move and/or tilt the sliding section 1. Thesliding section 1 comprises the central opening 2 to let the slidingelement leave the sliding section.

The FIG. 3 illustrates a version with an entry slide 6 located on top ofthe sliding section 1. The sliding element joins the sliding sectionthrough the entry slide 6. Once the sliding element has terminated itsjourney, the sliding section is modified so that the sliding elementexits by the periphery of the sliding section.

The FIG. 4 differs from the FIG. 3 in the way the sliding elements exitsthe sliding section 1. In this example, the sliding section is modifiedso that the sliding element exits through the central opening 2. Acamera 5 is located on top of the sliding section to acquire theposition of the sliding element.

The FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which the sliding section 1 issurrounded by a water channel 7.

In a particular mode of the present invention, the movements of thesliding section are preprogrammed and triggered by the entry of thesliding element into the sliding section. The behavior of a standardsliding element is known and the movement of the sliding section can bedetermined in advance without knowing the position of the slidingelement. As soon as the sliding element is detected within the slidingsection, the programmed movements applied to the sliding section arestarted. In order to optimize the expected behavior of the slidingelement, the entry of the sliding section comprises a scale to determinethe weight of the sliding element. With the weight, the control meanscan calculate the expected behavior of the sliding element and themovement of the sliding section can be optimized to bring asatisfactorily experience to the user.

In another embodiment, the control of the modification of the slidingsection is directly dependent on the sliding element's position. Theposition of the sliding element can be detected according to variousways. According to a first embodiment, the control means comprises acamera 5 preferably mounted above the sliding section and having a fieldof view covering the sliding section (see FIG. 6 ). The image of thecamera is analyzed to detect the position of the sliding element and theposition is used by the control means to determine the modification tobe applied to the sliding section.

According to another embodiment, the sliding element comprises a beaconwhich transmits a radio signal. The beacon can be held by a user or bemounted on a sliding vehicle. With the assistance of at least tworeceivers, the position of the beacon is detected within the slidingsection.

The FIG. 12 illustrates the way the attitude of the sliding section ismodified. When a sliding element 3 enters the sliding section, thecontrol means detects the position of the sliding element. A slidingelement can be one person or a riding vehicle such as a bow or a cart.The user or users are mounted on the riding vehicle to glide within thesliding section.

The control means controls the actuators in order to create a movementsuch as a change of attitude or a movement. In one example, the changeof attitude creates a slope so that the sliding element slides withinthe sliding section. The path, illustrated by the arrow, is determinedby the control means. To understand the way the path is determined, theFIG. 12 illustrates different positions of the sliding element thusleading to different attitude of the sliding section. The movement ofthe sliding section (the movement is illustrated by the white arrow)follows the sliding element by creating a constant slope.

Once the position A of the sliding element is detected, the attitude ofthe sliding section is modified in order to create a decline (or aslope) allowing the sliding element to glide. The control means candetermine the temporary target position B by adjusting the attitude ofthe sliding section. Once the sliding element has reached the positionB, the attitude of the sliding section is modified to lead the slidingelement to the position C.

The control means can maintain a movement of the sliding element as longas desired. By adjusting the actuators, the sliding element can followlinear and elliptic paths.

According to one embodiment, the speed of the sliding element isdetermined by the control means, in particular with the means to detectthe position. The speed information can be used to anticipate thelocation of the sliding element during the movement. It is to be notedthat the attitude could be constantly modified during the movement ofthe sliding element and the magnitude of the modification of theattitude can also depend on the speed of the sliding element. Theattitude of the sliding section is controlled by the control means sothat in the first part of a path A-B, the sliding element acceleratesusing the decline of the sliding section. Once the sliding element hasreached the half of the journey A-B, the control means changes theattitude of the sliding section to decrease the speed of the slidingelement. The speed is controlled in order to avoid that the slidingelement is ejected from the sliding section.

One possible way to exit the sliding section is through an outletpreferably located at the center of the sliding section (see FIG. 4 forexample). The control means can position the sliding section so that thesliding element avoids following a straight line between the initialposition A to the target position C passing through the central part ofthe sliding section. In this way, the sliding element can move as longas the control means calculate an elliptic path. Once the time to enjoythe sliding experience is over, the control means calculates a path thatleads to the center of the sliding section at a controlled speed. Thecentral part comprises an outlet in the shape of a tube to allow thesliding element to enter and be evacuated from the sliding section.

Another way to exit the sliding section is through the periphery of thesliding section (see for example FIG. 3 ). The sliding section can besurrounded by a collecting channel (see FIGS. 5 and 6, element 7). Sincethe control means can control the speed and the position of the slidingelement, the attitude can be adjusted so that the sliding elementterminates its journey at the periphery of the sliding section at lowspeed, allowing a smooth transfer from the sliding section to thecollecting channel.

The FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the collecting channel 7. The entry intothe sliding section is achieved through an entry slide 6. The slidingsection 1 has preferably a bowl shape with a surrounding lip 4. Duringthe first part of the journey, the sliding element stays into the bowlpart of the sliding section and moves according to the change ofattitude of the sliding section. Once the time is over, the attitude ischanged so that the sliding element passes the lip of the slidingsection and therefore exits the sliding section to arrive into thecollecting channel 7.

The FIGS. 9 and 10 is another example of the movement of the slidingsection 1. The sliding element 9 slides along on the wall of the slidingsection thanks to the slope created by the tilting of the slidingsection. In this example, the exit is one opening into the wall of thesliding section. The FIG. 10 illustrates the end of the journey and theattitude of the sliding section is changed so that the sliding elementis conveyed to the exit. In this example, the exit is connected to theconnecting channel as illustrated in the FIGS. 7 and 8 .

The FIG. 11 shows an example of two sliding elements at the same time inthe sliding section. As far as the distance between the two slidingelements is small, the control means can determine a movement of thesliding section so that the two sliding elements could move from aposition A to a position B. In the embodiment of the FIG. 11 , the wallof the sliding section comprises a tube 8 to allow the sliding elementsentering into the sliding section.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the slidingsection comprises a plurality of water outlets in order to create awater film on top of all or part of the surface of the sliding section.The water outlets are preferably located at the periphery of the slidingsection and the water inlets are provided at various portions of thesliding section. In order to optimize the creation of the water film,the control means can also open or close the water inlets and wateroutlets. In the example of the FIG. 12 , the water outlets close to theposition A are open and the water inlets close to the same position areclosed so that the water flows from the position A to the position B. Atthe position B, the water inlets are open to collect the water. When thesliding element reaches the middle of the section A-B, the water outletsare opened around this position to create a film towards the position B.As a general rule the water inlets close to the lowest portion of thesliding section are open and the water outlets upstream to that positionare open. According to one embodiment, the water outlets are open belowthe sliding element and in front the sliding element so as to create thefilm of water allowing the sliding element to glide on top of the film.

According to another embodiment, the sliding portion is dry and thesliding element comprises wheels allowing it to roll in all directions.

The FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the sliding section. It is notnecessary that the sliding section is flat but can also comprisesvalleys and hills to create a more exciting path for a user.

In this particular configuration, the stating position and the exit canbe anywhere along the edge of the sliding section. In case of theabsence of a wall terminating the periphery of the sliding section, acollecting channel is positioned so that the sliding element, whileexiting the sliding section, joins the collecting channel. In case ofthe water amusement attraction, the collecting channel is a waterchannel leading the sliding element to the main exit of the amusementattraction.

The FIGS. 13 to 16 illustrate a way to transfer energy to the slidingelement 9. The sliding section 1 receives the sliding element 9 with aninitial speed. This speed represents the initial kinetic energy. Therole of the sliding section is to move in order to maintain or increasethe kinetic energy of the sliding section. The FIG. 13 illustrates thearrival of the sliding element within the sliding section. In view ofthe slope of the sliding section, the sliding element follows the slopeand generates a centrifugal force F1. The illustrated sliding section inthe FIG. 11 is also a good example of the sliding element following theslope or the wall of the sliding section. By following the wall of around element (or substantially round), the initial speed generates thecentrifugal force F1. Without movement, the sliding element will turnwithin the sliding section until the kinetic energy is zero and thesliding element will be located in the center of the sliding section.

In order to maintain a momentum, the sliding section will move so as totransfer energy to the sliding element. This movement should bysynchronized with the position of the sliding element. The FIG. 14 showsa first movement of the sliding section producing a force F2 applied tothe sliding element via the slope of the sliding section. The FIGS. 15and 16 shows two instances during which the sliding section is moved inaccordance with the sliding element's position. Each time the wall ofthe sliding section is used to move the sliding element in an oppositedirection than the centrifugal force. The movement of the slidingsection transfers energy to the sliding element and allows it tocontinue its journey within the sliding section. The amplitude of themovement of the sliding section, thus producing the force F2, determinesthe magnitude of the resulting force F3 to the sliding element.

In the FIG. 17 , the sliding section 10 is a smaller section that can bepart of a larger machinery. The sliding section comprises an input 11,and output 12 and being shaped to create a curve of at least 90 degrees.This section of the sliding section 10 is preferably closed, for examplein the shape of a circle or oval. It can be executed in plain materialor translucid material. The curve of the sliding section 10 plays amajor role is bringing energy to the sliding element. With no action ofthe actuator, the sliding element will enter with a given speed into thesliding section and will follow the outer and longer wall, opposite tothe inner and shorter wall, due to the centrifuge force. The slidingelement will therefore follow a patch defined by the outer wall as longas the curve generates the centrifuge force. When the sliding elementarrives to a straight portion, the centrifuge force ceases and thesliding element continues its journey approximately in the center of thesliding section.

The FIG. 17 shows the sliding element 13 in the middle of the curve(dotted line). When this point is passed by the sliding element 13, themovement of the sliding section is triggered. A force F3 is applied onthe sliding section pushing the sliding element 13 toward the output 12.Depending of the force F3, the speed of the sliding element 13 isincreased. The entering speed of the sliding element is increased by thelateral movement of the sliding section.

The FIG. 18 shows the sliding section at the time the sliding elemententers into the sliding section. In this example, the sliding section ismounted on wheel allowing a lateral movement. The actuator 13 is at restand connected to the sliding section. The FIG. 19 illustrates thesliding section after the passage of the sliding element. The actuator13 has moved the sliding section and the sliding element was acceleratedtoward the output.

The shape of the sliding section can be a curve from 90 degrees to 200degrees. The output can be level with the input to below the input. In aparticular embodiment, the output can be higher than the input theactuator binging enough force to the sliding element, though the outerwall, to move the sliding element upwards.

One key element is the timing. The movement of the sliding sectionshould be synchronized with the position of the sliding element. Thecorrect timing is the one that create a force on the sliding element sothat it is moved to the output of the sliding section. If applied tooearly, the force will pushes the sliding element back to the input. Inthe example of the FIGS. 17 to 19, the sliding section has the shape ofa half circle. The sliding element should have passes the middle of thesection so that the outer wall will push the sliding element toward theoutput. The force applied by the actuator can be non linear, a gentleforce at the beginning to create the contact between the outer wall andthe sliding element, and then the force can be increased. The slidingsection comprises at least one detector to detect the passage of thesliding section and to trig the actuator 13. Various type of detectorscan be used such as a light barrier, a movement detector, a presencedetector and a camera with image analysis.

According to one embodiment, the sliding section comprises a pluralityof water outlets providing a water film on the surface of the slidingsection.

1. A sliding section part of an amusement attraction configured toreceive a sliding element having an initial speed, the sliding sectionbeing shaped to form a curve with at least an angle of 90 degree betweenan input and an output, the curved section having an internal andshorter wall and a external and longer wall, the section being furtherconnected to at least one actuator adapted to move the sliding sectionwith a lateral movement so that said lateral movement do work on thesliding element (9) in order to either increase it's speed or elevationor a combination of both.
 2. The sliding section of claim 1, wherein theactuator is configured to move the sliding section in a directionstarting from the outer wall and toward the inner wall.
 3. The slidingsection of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to move thesliding section so that the outer wall transfers energy to the slidingelement.
 4. The sliding section of claim 1, wherein the actuator isconfigured to move the sliding section so that the outer wall transferskinetic energy to the sliding element.
 5. The sliding section of claim1, further comprising position at least one detector detecting theposition in the sliding section and triggering the actuator as afunction of the detected position.
 6. The sliding section of claim 1,further comprising speed and direction detectors detecting the speed anddirection of the at least one sliding element and control means tocontrol the actuator as a function of the detected position, speed anddirection.
 7. The sliding section of claim 6, wherein the detectorcomprises at least one camera for which the field of view is the slidingsection.
 8. The sliding section of claim 1, in which the at least onesliding element comprises a riding vehicle, said riding vehiclecomprising a beacon, said detector comprising a receiver to receive thesignal of the beacon and to detect the position of the riding vehiclewithin the sliding section.
 9. The sliding section of claim 1, whereinthe curve is between 90 to 200 degrees.
 10. The sliding section of claim1, wherein it comprises a plurality of water outlets providing a waterfilm on the surface of the sliding section.